New A/N: Hey gang. Still updating this story. Sorry I don't have the time to make it happen all at once. This story is enormously OLD. I really like a lot of stuff from it but it needs way more in order to better tie into my many sequels. Thanks again for reading; I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my material. You're way awesome. Again, this is NOT A REWRITE… it's an editorial touchup… a fresh coat of paint overtop of a very aged and weather-beaten fence. Some of the things I've changed in this chapter include a few additions. In the original chapter 3 for this story, Fox buys Krystal the emerald tiara. Later, I realized what the tiara might have meant to her character. So I came up with a reason for there being two – the one she wears in ADVENTURES, gold pearls and a ruby… then to juxtapose it with the platinum one with the emerald that she wears in ASSAULT. I'll remove the scene where Fox buys the second one for her when I get to updating Chapter 3. I add where she gets the second one from at the beginning of THIS chapter. I also removed TONS of unnecessary punctuation marks, got rid of the capital letters following quotations and added a part where Fox removes a poster while on the bridge. If you have a sharp eye, you've seen that sexy vixen poster on the bridge during StarFox Adventures. I thought it would be amusing to have Fox get embarrassed about it now that there's a female onboard (especially since it is one that he happens to like.) Finally, I added where Krystal recognizes Fox from the dream that I wrote in the beginning of Reflections of Fox. Thanks again for reading!
Chapter-2- "Changes and Adaptation"
Krystal swallowed hard. Her paws trembled and her heart pounded. She was sitting on the floor in front of her luggage. It was the first time since leaving Sauria – she'd not seen some of these belongings since starting on her trip for answers. What she'd found at the bottom of the suitcase caused her stomach to drop.
With all the other affects pulled from the container, there was only one object left. She reached inside and reverently closed her paws around the item, curious as to how it got there. Her racing heart was like a hammer on cloth, but it thundered in her ears. Her nose went dry, her ears lowered and her eyes began to moisten. She lifted her mother's royal tiara from the container. Tears streamed down her azure cheeks.
Krystal stared at the fuzzy object through a glistening watery gaze. She brought her left paw up and removed the ruby tiara and held them side-by-side. The one she wore was gold with a string of pearls and a ruby on the headdress. The other one was far more elegant. It was a platinum piece with a glowing emerald on the headdress. She'd never seen her mother without it. The loss she felt in her heart was unbearable. Krystal stood up, walked across the room and placed both on a dresser, side by side. She removed her bracers and put them aside then lowered herself to the floor and wept. Half an hour passed and she continued to cry until her tears ran dry.
Krystal walked to the private bathroom and washed her face then gazed into a mirror. She stared at herself long and hard – it was the first time in quite a while she'd not worn her circlet. She took a moment to compose herself then walked back out to where the two diadems sat on a dresser. They both had a dichroic headbands but the one with the platinum headdress and glowing emerald had pulchritudinous luster when compared to the one with the golden pearls and the ruby insert. She reached into the large shirt that Fox had given to her, withdrew a necklace and took it off then placed it with the rest.
To calm herself, she settled on the floor and took several deep breaths. Her eyes shut and she began to meditate. She willed her body to relax and began to focus on all that she'd heard about this sector in the last day.
There was a great deal to learn about this system. Venom was the largest and first planet from the central star, Lylat. Eladard, the size of a large moon, was an industrial capital and a leader in the medical technology revolution. It was covered with urban concrete. Fortuna came next then the ever-wonderful fourth planet, Corneria. Following that was another fairly populated planet, which consisted of military outposts, called Katina. There were two water-covered planets, Aquas and Zoness. There was a dusty planet, Macbeth, a desert planet known as Titania, a frozen planet known as Fichina and another outpost planet, known as Papetoon. Beyond that was a fiery planet, much like an orbiting star, SOLAR. Finally came the lush, jungle covered planet, known as Sauria.
The system seemed far more complex than where she'd come from. Lylat boasted deep-space anomalies and letter-shaped gaseous nebulas. What was more amazing was how civilized the populations of these planets were, and that they had a federation alliance with the neighboring planets. Krystal found their lexicon easy to pronounce, using her natural telepathy to speak their tongue as if she, herself, was native to the system.
It had been two days onboard the GreatFox and she found herself borrowing oversized clothing from Fox. He was the only person on the ship that was close to her build. The door to her quarters swished open and he stood in the doorway, timid from his nerves. She could tell it was because she was a girl; she found it to be an odd reason. His most attractive quality was his mind. After all, she knew he had to be pure of heart in order for the Krazoa to allow him to finish the tests she began on while visiting Sauria.
"Hey," he said softly, tapping his paw against the doorframe. "You're decent right?" he asked, trying to be ever polite.
"I am, please. Come inside," she bade. Krystal glanced up from her mid-afternoon's meditation session. She was trying her best to quickly adapt to the time frame aboard GreatFox. At night, they kept the ship's interior lighting dim to simulate the feel of evening. During the day, the computer brightened the ambient illumination to keep the crew acclimated to the day schedule of the Capital City of the system's fourth planet.
Krystal looked him over with an endearing smile. She'd finally come to recognize his face and pondered where she'd seen it before now. She now knew for sure that she had met him somewhere before but couldn't place it… there was just something so familiar about his eyes and his smile.
Fox stepped within the guest room and was dressed differently than usual. Normally, he wore what seemed like comfortable pants, a shirt, a vest, a red scarf and sometimes a silver jacket. Today, he wore something that seemed less casual. She'd never seen the fashion style before; it wasn't anything like Cerinia.
The dashing vulpine was clad in black pants, a black jacket with tailored round objects at the sleeves, and a white shirt with little round fastenings up the front. The strange look was completed by a piece of cloth knotted at his neck. The horizontal fabric hung to just above the buckle of his belt. His thoughts betrayed him; he was actually worried that the cloth looked a certain way.
She allowed herself to probe further into his mind. Cornerians called the fabric a 'tie' and she'd only seen such a thing on one other man who went by the name of Darius Tyger Vai. Her thoughts returned to McCloud. She smiled softly, standing up in the dimly illuminated living room. Fox reached for a switch on the wall and little square shaped tiles on the wall and ceiling began to brighten. Their incandescence filled the room with a soft glow.
The electric lighting on her world was less fancy. Back on Cerinia, lights were occasionally recessed into ceilings but never built into the walls. Again, their technology was amusing to her. Both races were advanced, but it seemed that the people of Lylat invested their technology into making things sleek and stylish. From lighting panels, touch screen shower controls, fist-sized blaster weapons and scores of creature comforts, all the way to handheld music devices, multimedia enabled communicators and photographic capable features for nearly everything… their cultures differed greatly.
The thing that really got to her the most wasn't the technology or the fashion or even the food. It was Fox McCloud. She lowered her gaze then lifted it again, looking over his face. It was then she realized why she recognized him. A decade ago Krystal was like many other Cerinian girls – she began having telepathic dreams with her future mate. The problem was, Krystal's childhood dreams were never of a man on Cerinia.
She studied him and his facial structure. She licked her lips somewhat and smiled in realization of that recognition… She sensed he didn't recognize her but wondered if he'd had these dreams as well. (Reflections of Fox McCloud, chapter 1) She wanted to ask him but she didn't want him to think she was crazy, either. Krystal blinked… usually she was open on any subject because every member of her race already knew what was on her mind. But she knew he wasn't telepathic and, for the first time she could recall, she was concerned about how she might be perceived, simply because telepathy wasn't a factor… What if he thought she was silly for bringing up something like dreams? She wondered if he would judge her in some way.
Fox's voice broke her out of her state of reverie. "We're dry-docking above Corneria for repairs to GreatFox. I was going to pick up the contract documents from General Pepper for our work on Sauria and show you around if you're up to it," he told her.
"I would love to accompany you," she replied with a soft smile. The sweat pants he lent to her adorned her frame loosely, the waistband somewhat diagonally clinging to those feminine hips. Just the sight of her caused his heart to quicken.
Having recently learned of her telepathy, she noted that he was attempting not to rake his gaze over her figure. His T-shirt, which had markings across the front and back, had short sleeves but because of her small frame, they stopped just above her wrists. Fox had broad shoulders that would have easily filled out the shirt. Conversely, she found herself swimming in the fabric. "Out of curiosity, Fox, what does it say on this shirt you've lent me?"
"It's a jersey. They're numbers – it's a seven and a three. That was my number when I played sports in the academy," said McCloud, standing just a foot or two inside the doorway. To her, it was amusing that he should be so shy. She couldn't understand why.
On her world, everyone's thoughts were shared with the community. There was nothing to hide. Cerinians had no reason to be shy because everyone could be himself or herself since the community already knew everything about everyone else. This natural personality trait made her seem confident and self assured, but not quite egotistical. Ego… that was a trait the blue avian seemed to have.
In the last two days, everyone had been spending a great amount of time with the bird named Falco. She learned that he had apparently spent a few years away from his friends here on the ship. The vixen recalled breakfast – she politely scolded Mister Lombardi for being selfish with his ego and to the surprise of the crew he actually appeared apologetic to Krystal's commentary. On two occasions, Peppy Hare referred to her as the 'den mother'. Ironically, she was the youngest person onboard.
Krystal looked down at the jersey that hung loose on her shoulders. The large collar stopped at the swell of her chest and she noticed Fox's eyes straying. The little vixen smiled inwardly. She thought about clearing her throat but opted against it for now. After all, she liked feeling wanted.
She came to realize that in this civilization the two genders put a great deal of emphasis on the differences between male and female. Cornerian men acted differently around a woman than they did around other men. She was quick to capitalize on this idea, reminding the boys that she was a lady. Twice thusfar, she told the crew that they needed to mind their 'boyish manners' thereby giving her a sense of feminine control. Not that she was controlling but they appeared to lack class. However, it was starting to become obvious that they wanted to grow beyond their bachelorhood immaturity. They were simply not used to having a woman aboard. This new experience and seeing men differently than she'd seen in the past was adorable.
Fox McCloud had a very general alluring trait about himself beyond his pure hearted nature. His dashing and attractive qualities outweighed the men on Cerinia in her opinion. There was a mystery about him… of who he was and the thoughts and feelings he kept locked away in his heart. The enigma of his soul and his private emotions made her secretly interested in him.
Fox, standing before her now, stepped back into the hallway and motioned for her to follow. She touched the panel on the wall, passing through the doorway, and turned out the lights to her room. The hallway was brightly illuminated and her pupils shrank. Krystal's eyes adjusted to the luminescent bulkheads. Drab, gray and metallic in a lifeless sort of way; the otherwise well-lit corridors of metal served as home to these adventurers. However, the ship needed a woman's touch.
"So what is it that you and your mates do for a living?" She asked. Fox seemed to feel a little awkward at calling his group, 'mates', so she reworded the question. "Your... wing mates? 'Teammates' is it?"
"Well, yes," Fox replied with a nervous chuckle. "Wing mates, teammates. We usually use the term 'mate', just mate by itself, as a term of endearment. It's what we refer to as our significant other."
"Aren't all your friends significant?" she asked as the two walked down the plain, gray corridor.
"N-... er, I mean, yes they are. But I mean," Fox trailed off.
She scanned his mind yet again then quirked her brows somewhat. "Fox, you mean 'mate' is a term to describe a companion of love?" Her walk caught his attention. The way she sashayed her hips, her delicate frame bouncing with each step, confidant and spirited. She noticed his straying eyes again. Next, she noticed his straying mind. "Ahem," she said softly, musing over his hormones. Again, he blushed. It was cute. Such reactions were foreign to her race.
"Yes, that's what I mean. Like a spouse. You know what that is, right?" he asked, curious if Cerinia celebrated marriage.
She took a moment to probe his thoughts and smiled at the definition she found within his mind. "Someone with whom you've exchanged vows, to stand as your lifelong partner of love, declared by a union known as matrimony?" All right, so she dressed it up and grinned. It made him feel nervous again, which amused her to no end. "Why, Fox, I've only known you for two days and already you're bringing up the topic of wedlock?" Her words caused him to freeze. She gingerly placed her paw at the small of his back and guided him forward. "I jest, Fox. It was said in humor."
"Yeah, I uh…" He swallowed back his nervousness then changed the subject with a forced smile. "So, I was thinking, maybe we could take you shopping and find you a tailor? Something for fashion?" Fox added. After a momentary pause, he continued, "You know… something of the latest trend. Well, unless you have your own ideas, of course. Maybe I could show you how women go about getting their appearance together on Corneria?"
"Hmm, I've never experimented with the issue of my vanity before," she said playfully. Krystal then tilted her head and quipped, "I see the men from this system, at least the one's I've met thus far, don't seem to care about their own vanity. Disheveled T-shirts and ruffled fur. A lady does enjoy a well groomed man's appearance, you know." She grinned again. She could sense that Fox was already making plans to get a trim, a haircut and brush his fur next time he had the chance. Again, she felt like she had a playful tinge of power over him, but the power of a woman was something she would have to learn to wield properly first. All these fresh new sensations enthralled her.
"So, are you ready to go now? I mean, you're not wearing all your jewelry pieces you usually wear," Fox said, noting that she wasn't donning her necklace and ruby tiara, today. On a second look, he also noticed she wasn't wearing her bracelets or anklets. Krystal gave a knowing smile and patted McCloud's cheek softly.
"They won't be necessary today," she told him. "Do you often go to Corneria to go 'shopping'?"
McCloud brought a paw to the nape of his neck, as though rubbing away awkwardness caused from the odd question. "When we get paychecks we update our stuff. But after eight years without money, the GreatFox needs to spend a few days in dry-dock. After we get the overhaul, we'll figure out what to do next… but with all this time on our paws the team isn't quite sure how to 'relax'. Corneria isn't as nice as Cape Claw but it's got its charm," Fox explained.
"Cape Claw? I really didn't get enough time to explore too much of the planet. I helped the Earthwalker Queen to make contact with Corneria, using communication's gear on my shuttle. When the planet split apart, I was separated from my ship. After that, I met with the Light Foots then met with the Cloud Runner tribe; they were looking for their leader… Once I had my things in order I got under way. This 'Cape Claw' you mentioned… Was it nice?"
"The Light Foot," Fox groused softly. "I didn't exactly see eye to eye with them," he added, thinking back to the first Light Foot tribe member he met on the beach of Cape Claw… the one with the yellowish jewel; they met under cannon fire of all things. Then the small velociraptor's tribe members pounced him in the forest and forced the pilot to take part in all those stupid tests. They weren't so bad in the end, but they certainly annoyed him. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yes, Cape Claw was a paradise resort. It's very small and cozy; not like the massive stretch of beach on Aquas or the old resorts of Zoness, from way back in the day."
"Also, I heard that Corneria has chosen to name the planet, 'Sauria' after the Queen Earthwalker, since she was the first contact they'd had with anyone from that world. I'm rather fond of it."
"Was that her name?" Fox asked with an inward chuckle. "I never asked."
As the two walked towards the flight deck, Falco quickly came into step besides them, and greeted the couple. "Incidentally, Fox, What was Zoness like? Why were its resorts something from the past? Did something happen to them recently?" she asked.
"Aw man," Falco cut in, "When Andross built a base under the sea and used the natural resources, like oil, from that planet, he had so many oil spills and his factories polluted so much, it'll take another century of hard work just to make Zoness' waters clear again. It was a sight to make anyone cry."
"Cry, yes… I cried quite a bit when I realized I was the last Cerinian left." She nodded in understanding, ironically not understanding Falco's metaphorical use of the term about shedding tears.
Fox opened his muzzle to say something but no words came. Falco glanced away and appeared to feel equally awkward. Krystal looked them over and frowned, not having intended to hit them with a guilt trip. She decided to revert the subject back to this planet of which they spoke.
"I sense you were both fond of this resort planet at one time," she mused with a slight smile. She could tell that it really upset them both that the planet was ruined now. "Andross was a fool. If I find out he was truly to blame for what happened to my home, I'll make his life miserable."
Lombardi's mood changed swiftly. "Yeah, if he survived the fight on that new planet. Fox and I kicked his sorry tail right out of orbit," Falco crowed, obviously satisfied with his handiwork and taking the extra chance to remind Fox that it was HE who came to the rescue the other day.
"Yeah. They're calling it Sauria now, by the way." Fox replied, adding, "Hopefully we've seen the last of him. It's been eight years and Corneria's government has only recently started to clean up some of his bio-weapon factories. Not to mention the monsters that he'd left behind. It's an expensive system-wide cleansing effort and it costs a lot of money."
"Bio Weapons? In the oceans and on the system's star, perhaps?" she asked, her inquisitive nature put aside, and her desire for answers resurfacing.
"Your telepathy tells you all that, huh?" Falco asked.
"Yes... but that isn't why I inquired," she replied, shaking her head sullenly. "It was rumored to have happened to our star. It may have been what caused the star to die out. Cerinia froze over and the population began to parish. When I left the area, it collapsed and the super nova swallowed my home and our natural satellite, Meredith. I," she trailed off, closing her eyes as the trio walked. Fox's chest wrenched. She could feel his emotions growing remorseful. Falco shook his head and ran his fingers through the ruffled feathers upon his head.
"I'm real sorry," Falco added. "Look, if Andross didn't die after that, we'll let you take the first punch next time we clobber him, okay?" said the falcon, stuffing his winged hands into his pockets. "What was your place like?"
"Falco," Fox said, cutting his gaze to the avian.
"No, it's all right, boys." Krystal gave a grim chuckle and shook her head. "I'll answer the question."
Fox stopped in the hallway and turned around. "Let's talk about it on the way to the bridge, then. I want to let the guys know I'm leaving for the afternoon." Falco and Krystal pivoted and fell back into step alongside McCloud.
The little blue vixen began her description of the planet, detailing the culture differences from Fox and Falco's people, to the way gardens were constructed and homes were modeled. She briefly detailed leaving her planet after the lottery. Because of her status, she was the first to be picked from the lottery. She told them that she almost turned it down but as an explorer, a healer and an aspiring scientist, she wanted to leave the planet to find answers and, hopefully, to find help. Along with a few others, Krystal was given a ship and left Cerinia to seek aid, possibly from the neighboring system and its populated world, KEW. She told them the story of the last moments on her homeworld. "…And that was the last time I saw my parents. My father, Marcus, sealed the doors to the senate building and carried my mother down to the subterranean bunker. He was a good leader." The group reached the bridge.
As soon as they went inside, Fox quickly dashed over to a poster hung up on the wall. It was a scantly clad vixen with red fur. McCloud pulled it down quickly yet he was careful not to rip it. He rolled it up and passed it to Falco with a stern expression. Falco understood the look and tucked the rolled poster beneath an arm. Next, McCloud cleared his throat and addressed the rest of his team. "I'm going to take Krystal planet-side. She's more-or-less without any belongings. I also plan to stop by and see Pepper."
Peppy nodded, lifting a mug to his lips. He sipped from the hot tea then adjusted his glasses. "By the way, I heard from Lucy. She's starting at a new school tomorrow. Great pay and good benefits."
Fox grinned. "I'm sure she's made her poppa very proud. How're the boys?"
Peppy placed the mug aside and said, "The whole family is fine. It's nice to get calls from them every so often. You two have fun and stay out of trouble."
"Anyone else want to go?" asked the vulpine pilot.
"I've got some stuff to do," said Slippy. Peppy Hare offered a shake of his head.
Fox waved to them then turned about and placed his paw on Krystal's elbow, guiding her back into the hallway. Falco followed, looking rather bored. The avian switched the poster to his other arm, walking with a swagger. They resumed a casual conversation as the trio walked down the corridor. Lombardi stopped by his room and put the poster on his sofa then they continued at a leisurely pace.
Up ahead, the doors to the flight deck swished open and the three of them approached a shuttle pod, boarding it from the entrance ramp on the back end. Slippy and Peppy had a few things to go through on the bridge before they left the dreadnought in the hands of maintenance crews, and so they didn't join the planet-bound triumvirate.
The group decided to use Krystal's shuttle since StarFox lacked multi-personnel transports. Slippy had done some minor repairs to it and found a way to refuel it. The shuttle's rear hatch shut. Fox prompted Krystal to drive since she was used to the controls. The two mercenaries settled onto a bench along one wall, relaxing, as Krystal took the controls of her small ship.
They proceeded to the planet's surface, lowing from orbit and into the atmosphere. A lush crimson glow enveloped the pod, breaking through the stratosphere and into an endless blue sky. The Cornerian Capital City grew in size as her shuttle descended upon it. Fox hailed General Pepper directly, asking for clearance on the base since that was their first stop. On the upside, the base was in the middle of the city's downtown area, right on the water. It was only minutes away from public transportation, parks and malls.
Krystal could sense that Falco disliked being a passenger and grinned inwardly. It was his lack of being at the controls that made him feel awkward about the situation. She was still thirty thousand feet above the city, on approach to the coordinates on her dashboard monitor. She glanced back at the boys then she eased into the rudder controls, changing the pitch and axis just enough to do a loose barrel roll. Fox, not expecting it, quickly gripped the metal bar built into the bulkhead, above the bench. Falco cut an accusing glare up at the cockpit.
"Real funny," the avian muttered. After a moment his scowl melted into a grin. "I'd have done the same thing," he admitted. He tured to Fox and added, "I like her. She's easier on the eyes than Slippy and about as evil as I am."
"Playful," she corrected through silvery peals of laughter, "Not evil. Playful. And if you're not nice, I'll do it again," she said in a faux-threatening tone. Normally, she was far more serious in a cockpit or on a battlefield. However, now that the danger was over, she felt as though she could loosen up. Perhaps she was telepathically feeding off of their boyish ways – she couldn't be sure; she'd never thought to pull a practical joke before. Being around Fox and Falco really helped her loosen up. Drawing from their friendly mental state helped ease the pang of loss she carried with her during her pilgrimage from the doomed Cerinia. The new company made her life bearable.
"Don't you dare; I'm not wearing a seatbelt," Fox cut in, finally releasing the bar over the bench.
"Ah, very well. But I'm a pretty good pilot for a girl, no?" she chided, glancing back to the controls. At twenty thousand feet above the landing destination, she rolled the shuttle over and curved down in the bottom half of a loop, performing what Fox and Falco knew as the 'Split-S maneuver'. Fox was quick to grip at the bar again, while Falco locked his talons around another bar beneath the bench.
"Will you cut that out?" Falco said, trying to keep from laughing. Fox chuckled as well, again letting his eyes roam up to the nose of the aircraft. She was built very well, and oddly, the blue fur was sexy. His eyes raked over her feminine visage, drinking in her luscious curves, but his breath caught in his throat when she glanced over her shoulder at him and grinned.
"Oh, erm, just watching where we're going," Fox said quickly. Krystal raised her eyebrows, turning back to the controls, confusion in her mind. Did Fox lie or was he trying to be polite because he realized he was staring? Worse yet, was he embarrassed to be looking her over?
She had never known deception until she met Andross, and wondered if this was part of it. Fox's voice broke her thought, telling her, "I mean, you know. Sorry I was staring; I didn't realize I was doing it," he admitted. The worry in her heart subsided and she smiled softly over his honesty. No, she could tell by probing his heart and mind… he was nothing like that Andross character.
"It's perfectly fine," she told him with a knowing smile and a light giggle. "And natural, if you ask me. Don't be so hard on yourself. Ah," she trailed off, changing the subject as they neared the base. "Which runway is it? I see several," she said, pointing to the tiny straight strips of gray far below them.
"Actually," said Fox, "They're strips of fighter pads. We haven't used runways since the days of early jet propulsion… at least not for landing. Taking off, we still use'em to get up to speed – not for Arwings, though. You can land it straight on the ship's belly, Krystal. Just find an empty section when you're low enough to make out what's down there."
Krystal grinned, adding, "Very well. So do I get to meet this General Pepper?"
"Sure, why not," Falco chimed in. "I need to see the old hound m'self. It's been a few years, ya know? He's got a sense of humor like a computer nerd, but he's a good guy all in all." Falco stood up from his seat, approaching the nose of the shuttle. Fox did the same, until they were both looking over her shoulder. Falco lifted his feathery fingertips, pointing out an empty section close to the main building. He snapped an azure fingertip. "There! Look at that! A close parking spot; you can't beat that."
"Something wrong with walking," Fox joked, ribbing his buddy with an elbow.
"Yeah, it's no fun," Falco shot back, nudging his old friend in return. "Make sure you get it before someone else does," the avian told her with a light sense of urgency. "Front row parking is crucial."
"Relax, boys," she said in reply. She tilted the nose forward a bit, causing Fox and Falco to lightly grip the arm rests of her pilot seat. There was no G-Diffuser in this shuttle and the slightest movements caused the two pilots to get jostled about.
Once they landed, the three of them dismounted the shuttle and followed Fox towards the main building. He didn't wear a three-piece suit very often and Falco was completely opposite of Fox's attire. The avian wore a leather jacket with various metal hooks and unused clasps, which jingled lightly when he walked. The elbows and shoulders were padded, giving him an authoritative pose, getting looks from several military airmen as the three made their way into the building.
"What is a mercenary?" she asked, picking the word up from several prying eyes. The word was on the minds of just about everyone who saw them.
"Someone who gets paid to do stuff the Government doesn't employ the military to handle," Falco mused. "They contract us because getting their overly wimpy militia in on something like a 'dog fight' might make the planet look bad to the people. Some of these soccer-mom citizens are very judgmental types. It's hard to explain."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," she admitted, following the two men through the posh hallways of the large building.
"Corneria's Army is used for defense. The public doesn't like seeing their troops rush across Lylat to blow something up because the military isn't a police force. I think they're a bunch of pansies," Lombardi remarked with a smirk.
"Yeah," Fox agreed, "When they have to push an offensive they usually call us. It keeps the public happy. The only reason we got involved with Sauria is because Pepper wasn't sure if the planet was under attack and he knew we needed money bad. It was one of those 'I'll help you out if you help me out' situations."
"Friend of the family?" Krystal asked, sensing Fox's closeness with the hound of which they spoke. Fox nodded to her question but she could already sense Fox's feelings about Pepper's friendship with his father, James. The three made their way to an escalator and took it to the fourth floor. They crossed the promenade then boarded a glass elevator. It lifted them up to level six. The trio filed out of the elevator and approached a lady at a desk. She was a pretty little cat girl with big brown eyes.
"Hey baby," Falco said, placing his elbows across the counter and grinning down at the secretary. "I bet you don't even remember my name."
"How could I forget, Mister Lombardi? It's been three years since the last time you've flirted with me, but don't think I've forgotten someone as outspoken as you," she said politely. Krystal could immediately sense that this girl, while genuinely glad to see him after so long, really didn't care much for the falcon. Again – it was a person who felt one way and said something entirely different just to be polite. It was an odd thing for Krystal to wrap her mind around – the subtle form of manipulation for the sake of tact. Oddly, she sensed that Falco already knew how this woman felt, and yet he poured on the plastic charm, just for his own self-amusement. Lylat had such an odd culture. It wouldn't take long to adapt, but she knew it was going to be awkward for the first few days.
"The General is waiting," said the feline, reaching for a button under her desk. "I'll buzz you in. Go on, it's unlocked now." She bade them goodbye with a simple nod of her head. The black and white cat quickly looked back down to her work. Krystal glanced back over her shoulder to see the way the woman was dressed. She had a professional business suit, unflattering skirt, well-ironed blouse and jacket, with matching low-heel shoes. The vixen had never seen anything like it. The girl at the front desk was looking busy on the outside, but secretly she was daydreaming of her boyfriend back at her apartment.
The General greeted the group from his office chair, quickly offering them lollipops from a candy jar on the desk. Falco was quick to search out a green one and unwrap it, while Fox politely declined. Krystal, on the other hand, was the first to speak. "Hello, sir. I'm Krystal from Cerinia. And I was wondering something. The girl out front… could you send her home early? Today's her boyfriend's first day off in three weeks and she really wants to spend time with him."
Fox looked shocked, Falco looked half embarrassed but Pepper stood up with a grin. He'd read the reports of Krystal being telepathic. The hound offered a nod of greeting to the group then replied to young Krystal with, "Why not? It's a beautiful afternoon, after all, right?" He reached for the call box on his desk and paged the secretary. Krystal immediately decided he was a good man and liked him for his optimistic, good natured personality. He had a majestic sense of honor about himself. She could tell he was a brave man with a large heart.
Old A/N:
1 Eladard: Snes StarFox2.
2 Papetoon: NP Comics '93
I'm writing this because I'm in the mood to do so, until I get my inspiration back to do more on The Curse and Similar Pathes Taken. Ta! I really could use feedback here. What do you guys want to see? I wanna write Krystal's change from the seashell and sandle clad girl we first saw, to the smokin' bodysuit babe we see in Assault.
Anything, guys? Let me hear yaw'll roar on this subject, eh?
Next: Chapter -3- Culture Shock.